


Things To Be Said

by Mira



Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-11
Updated: 2009-10-11
Packaged: 2017-10-15 12:07:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/160677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mira/pseuds/Mira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Thank you, Daniel," Woolsey said. "Sorry. Meetings don't usually take this long but the opportunity to spend time with the Trhaians doesn't come often. They are a private people. Fortunately, they took to Colonel Sheppard and his team during the initial visit."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things To Be Said

**Author's Note:**

> For [Cate](http://sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com)'s [McSmooch](http://community.livejournal.com/mcsmooch/) LJ community.

Daniel caught himself daydreaming and returned his focus to the meeting.

"-- the Trhaians offered to house a squad of Marines during their next training exercise," Lorne was saying, and looked at Teyla.

She nodded. "They approached me as well, Evan; I believe it is an excellent idea and an opportunity we should not pass up."

"Then I'll assign Corporal Wallingford's squad there." Lorne grinned, and Daniel thought it had a tinge of mischief to it. "While they aren't training, they can build the waste treatment plant. Dex?"

Specialist Dex gave Lorne a truly evil grin. "Glad to help."

"Excellent," Dr. Mutharika said, nodding. "I will schedule the engineers around the training dates."

"Good, good," Woolsey said, looking at his tablet. "Anything else?" Lorne shook his head, then glanced at Sheppard. "Colonel Sheppard?" Woolsey asked.

Sheppard shook his head, then looked at the science department heads sitting around the table, an eyebrow cocked. Dr. Nguyễen sat up straighter. "Oh, yes, that would be lovely, Colonel," he said in his precise English. "Andy and I have looked for an opportunity to study the Trhaians kinship system in order to compare it to the other cultures we've been able to study. Theirs appears to be unique in Pegasus, but of course that very well may be due to our ignorance."

Daniel knew Andy Corrigan well so he wasn't surprised to see him nod his head and scoot his chair forward. "Oh yeah, terrific idea -- as head of the social sciences, I concur with Triẽt. In addition, I'd like to bring an exo-economist who recently transferred to Atlantis, Felicity Green. She and I have been compiling information about the participatory economic system that -- we think -- predominates here."

"Always room for one more," Lorne said, grinning at Andy's excitement. "Or two, or a dozen."

"Doctor Jackson?" Woolsey said, surprising Daniel. "Is this an expedition you have any interest in?"

"Well, yes, of course," Daniel said, trying to figure how to decline without hurting anyone's feelings, "but I should keep working on translating the database." At Andy's look of disappointment, he added, "Maybe I could make a day trip? If there's time, and if no one objects."

"Oh, of course not," Rodney said in his usual irritated way. "We have nothing better to do than ferry visitors hither, thither, and yon."

"Hither, thither, and yon?" Daniel heard Colonel Sheppard murmur to Rodney, who looked cross, but said, "No offense, Dan."

"None taken, Rod," Daniel said.

Andy rolled his eyes and said, "There will be plenty of opportunities to gate over, so we'll expect you there, Daniel."

"Good," Daniel said, and to his surprise he meant it.

"Any other business?" Woolsey asked, calling the meeting back to order. "If not, then on to Doctor Leuenberger. Micheline?"

"Ah, _oui_ , Richard. As everyone knows, we are cataloging Pegasus planets' and moons' zirconium isotope ratios in order to validate a new high-precision measurement technique my team has developed. If it is possible to visit the Trhaians planet and two moons when everyone else is there we could measure those as well. We already have an approved list of ten planets and moons, but perhaps we could be added to the roster?" She looked around. "I apologize that I did not have this item on the agenda, but I didn't realize it would be possible to visit the Trhaians. _Naturellement_ , I understand if it isn't possible.

"At any rate," she continued quickly, "the measurements are going well. It's too early for a definitive answer, of course, but I think the new spectrometry technique is even more accurate than the thermal ionization mass spectrometry we had been using."

"That's good news," Woolsey said, almost a question, and Micheline smiled, brilliant against her dark skin. "And I believe the spirit of this mission is the more the merrier, so check in with Major Lorne to find a suitable time slot for your visit."

"Thank you, Richard," Micheline said earnestly, "and you, Evan."

Daniel watched the interactions with attention; he felt such an outsider here, in a way he hadn't in years.

Micheline said, "Leo, is there anyone in your department who would be interested in looking at the material we'll be working with?"

"I see that Lilita Dombrovskis has been talking to you," he smiled, and she nodded. "Sure, no prob. I can see why an exo-botanist would be interested."

"You mean _fascinated_ ," Micheline corrected him, and they grinned at each other. Daniel wondered about Lilita; she must be a scientist after his own heart.

Woolsey cleared his throat and said, "Micheline was last on the agenda, so if there's nothing else, I know you all have work you're anxious to return to."

Rodney blew out a huge gust of air, irritated and pleased at once in a way Daniel was familiar with. "Radek, don't disappear, we need to discuss --"

"Yes, Rodney, I will not disappear, but I missed breakfast so perhaps we can discuss this in the main lab in a quarter of an hour? I know you understand how important it is not to miss meals," Radek added a little meanly. Rodney glared at him but didn't object.

Sheppard stood, one hand on Rodney's shoulder while talking to Woolsey. "I have a class to get to," he said.

"Ah, yes, training the new ATA personnel. Have a safe flight. Flights," Woolsey said. He had remained seated; he and Daniel had a meeting next to discuss Daniel's progress.

"Back for lunch?" Rodney asked. Daniel glanced at him in surprise, but Rodney was looking up at Sheppard, who made a face and tilted his head.

"Probably not," he said, sounding regretful.

"Well, call me when you're back," Rodney said standing as well, tucking his tablet under one arm.

"Yes, Rodney," the colonel said, and they kissed before the colonel left: mouth to mouth, not passionately but with affection and great familiarity, Rodney's hand resting on Sheppard's shoulder, one of Sheppard's hands at the small of Rodney's back, gently pulling him closer. Daniel thought his eyes would pop out of his head. He noticed that Micheline Leuenberger was waiting patiently; he also noticed that she didn't look the least bit surprised that her CSO and the military commander of Atlantis had just kissed goodbye. "Bye, Mich," the colonel added, and nodded to Woolsey and Daniel.

"Rodney, we really need to borrow one of your mechanical engineers --" Micheline started.

"You know they're all busy," he snapped. "You should take better care of the equipment."

"That's not fair," she sputtered, but typically, he cut her off.

"We've had this conversation," he said irritably, and stalked out, Micheline following him, both of them talking at the same time. Micheline, he heard, had reverted to French.

Daniel brought his attention back to Woolsey who waited patiently, clearly wanting to be back at his own desk doing his own work. "Uh," Daniel said, feeling as though he'd been zatted. He took a deep breath and said, "We can meet later, Richard; I know you're busy."

Woolsey looked so relieved that Daniel felt guilty for having asked for the meeting at all, even though it was necessary. But he had lots more of the database he wanted to look at; it could wait. This could wait.

"Thank you, Daniel," Woolsey said. "Sorry. Meetings don't usually take this long but the opportunity to spend time with the Trhaians doesn't come often. They are a private people. Fortunately, they took to Colonel Sheppard and his team during the initial visit."

"Yeah, I can see why," Daniel said, not knowing what he was saying. Mostly he wanted to think about Rodney kissing John, John kissing Rodney, right here in front of everyone.

"Excellent. Perhaps I'll see you at lunch. I understand they're serving the Athosian version of baked ribs with _sipolsh_ sauce on this wonderful rye-flavored bread the Coteli make."

"Sounds delicious," Daniel said. "I'll see you then."

"Good, good," Woolsey said, gathered his tablet and expensive pen (used for what? Daniel regularly wondered), and disappeared back to his office.

Daniel slowly wandered out of the conference room and onto the balcony that circled the gate room. So unlike the SGC's gate room, which was sterile and grey. This room was glorious this morning, sunlight streaming through the enormous stained glass windows and the scent of the ocean rolling in from the open jumper bay, through which he could see a cloudless Bondi blue sky. He took a deep breath, put his hands on the railing, leaned forward, and sighed.

He really missed Jack.


End file.
